State Governor Takes Lead in Palau Balloting

KOROR, Palau — Gov. Ngiratkel Etpison of Ngatpang state took the lead Saturday in the crowded race for Palau’s presidency as votes from his district were counted in the slow tallying of ballots from last Wednesday’s national elections.

Etpison, a wealthy businessman, had 1,235 votes to edge ahead of businessman Roman Tmetuchl, who had 1,115 votes before the election commission suspended counting while Typhoon Skip passed about 175 miles north of Koror, the capital of this tiny Western Pacific island chain.

There were no major problems as a result of the storm, although there were power outages in Koror, according to the National Emergency Management Office here.

The tabulation of ballots was expected to resume today, officials said.

Incumbent President Thomas O. Remengesau has been running third in the seven-man race. Remengesau took over as president in August to fill out the term of Palau’s second president, Lazarus Salii, who shot and killed himself.